


The Sanguine Stratagem

by graveExcitement



Series: Rigel Black and Vampirism [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Rigel Black Series - murkybluematter, Vampire: The Masquerade
Genre: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Fanfiction of Fanfiction, Gen, Inspired by The Rigel Black Chronicles, Rigelverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26052094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graveExcitement/pseuds/graveExcitement
Summary: Harry re-evaluates the ruse in light of her new vampiric circumstances.
Relationships: Harriet Potter | Rigel Black & Arcturus Rigel Black
Series: Rigel Black and Vampirism [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2068221
Comments: 30
Kudos: 93
Collections: Crossworks 2020, Rigel Black Chronicles Appreciation





	The Sanguine Stratagem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dainpdf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dainpdf/gifts).



> Fanfiction of murkybluematter's Rigel Black Chronicles.

In the end, not much had changed in the last four years. Harry stared at her reflection in the mirror, and her first question was not "Is this a good idea?" but " _could_ I do this?" It was practical to consider that question before the other, she told herself. After all, if something wasn't possible, there was no need to consider whether it was a good idea.

She wryly wondered whether she had stopped at all to consider whether the ruse had been a good idea, at age eleven, or if she'd been so caught up in the revelation that she could that she didn't ask herself if she should. Still. They were both relevant questions, and she might as well examine the practical one first.

Could Harry, as Rigel Black, hide her vampirism from the population of Hogwarts for the next three years?

She went through the list of things that might give her away. Sleeping during the day and waking at night. Vulnerability to sunlight. Vulnerability to fire. Pale skin. Cold to the touch. Drinking blood. Not eating food. Not breathing. No pulse. 

There was a potion she could brew to control her sleep schedule. It was not necessarily recommended for long-term use and she would likely still be tired and grouchy during the day, but it wouldn't kill her. (Not much would, these days.) She already spent most daylight hours inside the castle; she would simply have to correct that to all daylight hours. Goodbye early morning workouts, unless they were pre-dawn or relocated to the Room of Requirement. As for fire, she didn't have an answer other than "be very careful," but that was a sensible response to fire for mortals too, wasn't it? "Rigel" already never really tanned, so no one would think her pale skin too unusual. 

She already avoided touch; she could warm her skin 'manually', so to speak, but it would require effort. She would drink blood in private, of course; more difficult would be keeping anyone from snooping into the discreet packages (“donations” courtesy of the Court of the Rogue; thank Kyprioth Leo hadn’t asked too many questions) she’d be receiving on a regular basis. Last year she had often traded eating in the Great Hall for quick meals in the kitchen, but her friends would notice if she never ate in front of them. Hmm. She would come back to that one in a moment. As with her cold skin, she could breathe and pump blood through her body, it would just take effort to do so. Luckily she already avoided diagnostics spells from Madam Pomfrey, so she wouldn't attract any more suspicion by continuing to avoid them.

What did it say about her, that several of her tactics for avoiding suspicion relied on her _already_ behaving secretively, so she wouldn't need to make a suspicious change of behavior?

Eating could be a problem. She wouldn't be able to get away with never eating in the Great Hall, nor with making appearances and then not eating. Her friends were too nosy, and would get worried, either at her isolation or her lack of appetite. No, she would need to appear to eat. She technically could actually eat, she just wouldn't be able to keep it down. But needing to excuse herself to the toilet after every meal would cause its own kind of worry, especially if she was caught in the act. She supposed she could try some of all three strategies; avoid eating in the Great Hall most of the time, pick at her food and claim not to be hungry when she couldn't avoid making an appearance, actually eat food occasionally to keep her friends from getting worried and resign herself to throwing up afterward. Varying her habits would, hopefully, make her look more normal.

But wasn't there a better solution? She paced across her bedroom, stepping around years' worth of books, notes, and study materials. As she passed her desk, she saw the topmost letter on her mail stack, written in Caelum Lestrange's scrawl. She slowed, staring at it: it was about the Shaped-Imbuing process, and wasn't relevant to her current predicament, but something about it was tickling her brain.

Of course! Harry grinned; she could almost kiss Lestrange right now. The stunt he'd pulled at La Serene, where he vanished the wine without swallowing it: there was no reason it couldn't be applied to food as well, with a little tweaking. It was perfect. Maybe she could even modify it, to vanish it just after swallowing, since Lestrange not swallowing the wine was how she'd realized he was vanishing it.

What else? She walked back over to the mirror. She wouldn't age, but "Rigel" would, because Rigel was a blend of Harry and Archie, and Archie still aged. She would probably look younger than she ought, but Rigel had always been small. Her youthful face wouldn't attract too much suspicion until after she'd graduated, at which point it was moot.

It didn't really matter if people knew Harry Potter was a vampire, once she was an adult. But Rigel Black couldn't be a vampire, because _Archie_ wasn't a vampire.

Also, parents probably wouldn’t be happy if they knew they were sending their children to school with a vampire. There was a reason Remus’ condition hadn’t been common knowledge while he was a Hogwarts student. Dumbledore, she was sure, would trust her not to hurt anyone, but the parents? If it got out, Rigel might not be allowed to attend, which would ruin the entire point of the deception. But that was a secondary concern given that the ruse itself would be at stake. 

Ha. At _stake_. She smirked wryly at her reflection.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Harry crossed the room to open it. It was Archie, and she gladly welcomed him inside. The door clicked shut behind him, and then her emotional cousin was wrapping his arms around her. She froze for a moment, the instinct to avoid physical contact surging, before she firmly reminded herself that this was Archie and he already knew everything anyway. Slowly, she relaxed into the hug. He was so warm, she marvelled. So soft. So alive.

She realized she could hear his heartbeat, and extricated herself from the hug before she could start to feel tempted. That was almost worse, because it meant she could see Archie’s expression, and he looked so sad. She didn’t want to think about why, so she turned and began to pace. “I’ve been thinking about what this means for the ruse,” she said. “I’ve determined that I can most likely hide everything. The only things likely to give me trouble are avoiding sunlight and fire.” She stopped for a moment. “I can’t take the Floo anymore,” she realized. “At least I can Apparate. But I shouldn’t need to Floo at Hogwarts anyways.” Though she had once, she recalled, to visit Lily when Addy was born. She imagined Snape’s expression if she refused to step in the Floo like her life depended on it — which it now did — and winced. ‘Hope it didn’t come up’ wasn’t the best plan, but she didn’t have a better one yet.

She turned back to Archie. “The main question I have left is,” she said, “should we continue?”

“Harry,” Archie said, soft and sad.

She bit her lip. “We could stop,” she said. “Harriet Potter becomes a vampire. Archie Black gets a slap on the wrist. Rigel Black disappears. If we want to stop, now’s our chance.”

He stepped closer and gently took one of her hands. She noticed again how warm his touch was. She must be like ice to him, but he didn’t flinch. “Do you want to stop?” he asked.

Harry closed her eyes. There was a certain appeal in the idea of leaving the secrets behind. Even if people looked down on her or feared her, at least it would be _her_ they were fearing, Harry Potter in her newly vampiric glory. The Lower Alleys, the Lamia Lodge, they would welcome her with open arms. Or there was her new ‘family,’ Clan Malkavian, who would be eager to induct her into their society of madmen and jokers. _(“Do you even know where the lies end and the truth begins? You’ll do well with us, little trickster.”)_ She wrinkled her nose. No, if she was to embrace her new nature, she would go to the Lamia Lodge, which at least had vampires she could call friends. The Lower Alleys were a second home to her, and some part of her wondered if maybe this was destiny. Perhaps her fate had been sealed the day she walked into the Lodge with a cauldron, maybe even the day she set foot in the Alleys themselves.

But… Professor Snape. Would he want to associate with a vampire? Would he want to mentor a girl who was complicit in tricking him? And her friends, too; she would lose them all if Rigel Black disappeared. She would likely lose them anyway, after graduation, but she didn’t want that day to come just yet.

She opened her eyes, and could tell that Archie knew her answer even before she shook her head. “I don’t want to give up yet,” she said. “Also, I’d like if Harry Potter was able to graduate before people realize she’s a creature of the night.”

Archie winced. “AIM isn’t exactly known for its creature rights policies.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’ll be there,” Harry said. “Show off your remarkable ability to stand the sunlight, and even if any rumors reach AIM, you can disprove them with ease. Meanwhile, I’m going to give you even more of a reputation for being a shut-in than you already had. You’re welcome.”

“I’ll manage,” said Archie. “So, what do we need to do?”

Harry hummed in thought. “Well, the first problem is going to be the Hogwarts Express, since it leaves at eleven in the morning.”

“Got a plan?”

“Always.”


End file.
